Flyers still expect Cleary to report to camp

Dan Cleary. (Tony Ding/AP)

By Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: September 12, 2013

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said he still expected Dan Cleary to attend the opening of training camp Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center, although reports suggested that the veteran left winger may end up with another team.

Holmgren had announced Tuesday that Cleary, 34, an unrestricted free agent, had accepted an invitation to attend camp on a tryout contract. The GM called Cleary, a longtime productive player with the Detroit Red Wings, a "glue guy" who could play in all situations.

On Wednesday, however, Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada tweeted that because of "complications," Cleary would not report to the Flyers.

Holmgren said that "until I hear from the horse's mouth," he assumes Cleary will join the Flyers Thursday.

Cleary is listed as No. 11 and as being in the first group of players who will take the ice at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

TSN said Cleary had reopened talks with the Red Wings on Wednesday. Detroit had offered Cleary a three-year deal for just under $6 million earlier this summer.

A Flyers official did not respond to a text asking if Cleary had signed a tryout contract with the team and whether it was binding.

The Detroit Free Press reported that Cleary had agreed to a three-year contract with the Flyers that would pay him $8.25 million. But Holmgren said that no deal was in place and that Cleary had to earn a spot in training camp.

Barring a trade, the Flyers won't have salary-cap space to sign Cleary until Chris Pronger goes on the long-term injured list at the start of the season.

Breakaways. Claude Giroux, coming off finger surgery, said he hopes to be able to start stickhandling by the end of the week.